The present invention relates to a device that allows gas, for example air or carbon dioxide, to be introduced into the intestines of a patient in such a manner that these become distended, thereby enabling image-based diagnostic methods.
During said exploration, it is normal for an individual to expel or spill effluents from the rectal cavity towards the exterior, with the risk of contaminating the means used to insufflate said gas internally and the place where the exploration is being carried out.
A device that reduces these problems is known to exist, which comprises: a gas-insufflation device, a first duct for supplying gas provided by the insufflation device towards the interior of a body cavity of an individual; barriers inserted in the first duct for preventing the passage of effluents from the individual towards the interior of the insufflation device; a deposit for collecting said effluents; a member insertable in a cavity of the individual, attachable to the first duct and having an expandable ringed-shaped element for perimetrally sealing the cavity of the individual; and means for inflating the expandable ring-shaped element upon introducing the member insertable in a cavity of an individual.
In this manner, on inserting the insertable member in the rectal cavity of an individual, the effluents produced during the exploration pass through the first duct and are collected in the deposit. This device poses several problems, the main ones being that the first duct insufflates gas and collects effluents via the same passage, which contributes to the greater contamination of the insufflation device. Additionally, the insufflation device must support the excess pressure that may be produced during the diagnosis process, due to which it must absorb gases stemming from the cavity, becoming contaminated even if the barriers effectively prevent the passage of liquids and solids.
Additionally, total extraction of effluents is not achieved with these devices, as the current of insufflated gas hampers the collection of effluents circulating through the duct in the opposite direction, whereupon part of said effluents remain in the rectal cavity. The effluents remaining in the rectal cavity distort the images obtained by the radiologist during the image-based exploration, considerably hampering diagnosis.